Air Force Association Air Force Association Aerospace Education Council MeetingAerospace Education Council Meeting

March 15-16 2013March 15-16 2013

Susan Mallett, Grant Hicinbothem, Jim White:

The AFA Air Museum Update

AFA’s Air Museum Initiative

The AFA Air Museum Initiative website is live The AFA Air Museum Initiative website is live at www.capmembers.com/afamuseum. at www.capmembers.com/afamuseum. The Air Museum team has submitted a The Air Museum team has submitted a proposed web page for this initiative to be proposed web page for this initiative to be put on the AFA website that will be found at put on the AFA website that will be found at the Educational Opportunities page. the Educational Opportunities page.

The current website contains the following information:The current website contains the following information:

1- How CAP is Assisting in the Air Museum Initiative1- How CAP is Assisting in the Air Museum Initiative

2- Benefits to Air Museums Aligned with the AFA2- Benefits to Air Museums Aligned with the AFA

3- How CAP Units Can Help Perpetuate the AFA Museum Initiative3- How CAP Units Can Help Perpetuate the AFA Museum Initiative

4- How AFA Chapters Get Started with the Museum Initiative4- How AFA Chapters Get Started with the Museum Initiative

5- A Downloadable AFA Air Museum Initiative Brochure5- A Downloadable AFA Air Museum Initiative Brochure

6- Current AFA and Museum Connections Listing6- Current AFA and Museum Connections Listing

AFA’s Air Museum Initiative

September 2012 Survey of AFA Chapters resulted in only

79 (34%) chapter responses. From those responses, the following was identified:

1- 43 AFA chapters either had no museum in vicinity; had no contact with a museum; or had no contact, but wished to try to make that connection.

2- 36 AFA chapters are already heavily involved with area air museums in the following manner:

a. Chapter meets at the museum (20)

b. Chapter supports museum outreach initiatives (17)

c. Chapter helps museum support STEM events for youth and/or educators (15)

d. Chapter members individually volunteer at museum (47)

e. Chapter provides financial support to the museum (20)

f. Other museum connections:

museum Board Member; Charter Member of museum; Director of Marketing;

museum member; generic museum volunteer; attends and/or promotes museum

events; museum is chapter Community Partner; member has video of WWI

experience on display at museum

AFA’s Air Museum Initiative

Recent chapter events at a museum include two examples:

AL TN Valley Chapter first STEM Education Workshop at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Museum- February 2013. Included was a variety of speakers, to include historic aerospace icons and educators who conducted hands-on activities. A behind-the-scenes tour of the museum and grounds was included.

Utah’s Annual AEF Educator Workshop- March 2013. This “ “Out of the Classroom; Into the Sky” workshop included a tour of and demonstrations at the Education Center the AEF had funded several years ago at Hill Aerospace Museum. It also included a museum classroom session of aerospace/STEM curriculum integration ideas and activities. One half of the day was was spent at the local airport

conducting further aviation activities,

touring the Control Tower, and taking

Teacher Orientation Program (TOP)

Flights with CAP volunteers.

AFA’s Air Museum Initiative

In the summer of 2012, an AFA and CAP workshop was held at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA. Since that time, the Museum Foundation Board has taken lessons learned and worked with CAP to create their educational plan for the museum.

The Yanks Museum will try to recruit area educators with their AFA chapter’s complimentary CAP AE Membership opportunity. These teachers will be asked to conduct the CAP’s Aerospace Education Excellence (AEX) award program in the classroom with materials provided at no cost by CAP. The educators will complete at least six AEX activities, trying to concentrate on the specific CAP activities that have been identified as being aligned with the museum’s historic displays. Then, as the culminating 2-hour activity, the teachers will go on a field trip to the museum.

The museum staff will already have the classroom’s AEX plaque and student completion certificates ready to be distributed by an AFA chapter representative while at the museum. Class photos will be taken as another memento of the event.

It is hoped this experience will invigorate family visits to the museum following the class field trips.

AFA’s Air Museum Initiative

Since the last survey, many new museum initiatives have sparks being ignited. The Museum Team will use the survey results, the recent activity being started in several museums, lessons learned and new ideas (such as arranging to get college credit and/or CEUs for museum educator workshops), and a new survey to prepare the framework for the AFA Air Museum Initiative due to the AEC by 1 May.